Student-Authored Publications

Pardee RAND Graduate School students participate in many RAND research projects through their On-the-Job Training. These projects provide students with tremendous opportunities to publish their work in RAND reports and peer-reviewed journals. In fact, many of our students develop an impressive publications record during their tenure at Pardee RAND, which enables them to compete successfully for positions at universities and other research institutions.

Below is a list of publications that our students have recently authored or co-authored. The list provides an excellent illustration of the range of publications that our students have had a hand in developing.

Describes trends affecting the U.S. blood system, presents insights into its sustainability, and offers recommendations for how policymakers can ensure the safety and sustainability of the blood supply.

The Affordable Care Act's expansion of coverage for people under age 26 led to a 1-percent reduction in uninsurance, equating to a 0.8-percent decrease in workers' compensation claim frequency, and a roughly 1-percent decrease in overall claim costs.

This report describes the status quo in the U.S. blood system, explores a set of six specific research questions related to the sustainability of this system through analysis and discussion, and presents policy alternatives and recommendations that aim to improve blood system is sustainability. We employed a mixed-methods approach, blending insight from analyses of available data and from interviews and other interactions with stakeholders.

The Washington State legislature has recently considered several policy options to address a perceived shortage of primary care physicians in rural Washington. RAND Corporation researchers projected the effects that various policy options could have on Washington State's rural primary care workforce through 2025. This report presents background information, the researchers' methods, and their findings.

Researchers followed up on a previously published report of a randomized controlled trial of a fall-prevention intervention. Linking trial data to Medicare claims, they considered whether the intervention reduced health care costs or the frequency of emergency department visits for fall-related injuries. They used these objectively measured outcomes to provide an overall assessment of the intervention's effectiveness.

Many veterans and their families struggle with behavioral health, family reintegration, and relationship problems. However, unlike many veterans, family members are generally not eligible to receive care at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. The Unified Behavioral Health Center is offering a new model of care by providing colocated and coordinated care for veterans and their families. This report presents an evaluation of this model.

RAND evaluated the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families, a new model of behavioral health care that provides colocated and coordinated care for veterans and their families.

Trained lay workers and medical providers in Uganda were able to successfully implement depression screening, diagnosis, and treatment prescription when given training and ongoing supervision from mental health specialists.

This report examines the use of the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) in Afghanistan. It explores the effectiveness of CERP in supporting tactical operations in Afghanistan during the counterinsurgency-focused 2010–2013 time frame using both qualitative and quantitative methods and describes CERP's origins, history, and existing research on the effectiveness of CERP in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chronic pain patients increasingly seek treatment through mindfulness meditation. This study aims to synthesize evidence on efficacy and safety of mindfulness meditation interventions for the treatment of chronic pain in adults.

RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from trials of meditation interventions to provide estimates of their efficacy and safety in treating adults diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Maidan Revolution in Ukraine created an opportunity for change and reforms in a system that had resisted them for 25 years. This report examines Ukraine's security sector — assessing what different institutions need to do and where gaps exist — and offers recommendations for the reform of Ukraine's security and defense institutions that meet Ukraine's security needs and align with Euro-Atlantic standards and approaches.

RAND researchers conducted a systematic review that synthesized evidence from randomized controlled trials of mindfulness meditation interventions — used adjunctively or as monotherapy — to provide estimates of their efficacy and safety in alleviating chronic pain in adults.

Many service members join (affiliate with) the Reserve Component (RC) after leaving the Regular Army (RA). Attracting prior service personnel to the RC allows the Army to retain valuable military experience. This report combines quantitative and qualitative methods to understand service member decisions upon exiting the RA: to join the RC or not; to join the U.S. Army Reserve versus the Army National Guard; and the timing of their affiliation.

Following California's 2012 bill to enact major reforms to the state workers' compensation system, RAND researchers assess trends in earnings loss and permanent partial disability benefits between 2005 and 2012, including analysis of the Great Recession's impact on outcomes for injured workers, and examine how the reforms might affect injury compensation going forward.

A motivational interviewing approach that targets social networks to reduce risky behavior was found to be helpful in a focus group of residents and staff of Housing First, a permanent supportive housing organization for formerly homeless people.